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Customs

”No container will leave Apapa Port without 100 percent physical examination”

 

declares Auwal Mohammed as he takes over as new Apapa Customs Area controller

—promises to surpass N1 trillion revenue mark

—vows not to facilitate non-compliant traders

 

The Eyewitness reporter

Despite the deployment of cargo scanning machines, the new area comptroller of the Apapa command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Auwal Mohammed, has vowed that no container shall leave the Apapa port without a 100 percent physical examination.

Comptroller Mohammed, who formally took over the mantle of leadership of the command Friday, 27th, January 2023, from Ag. Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs(ACG) Malanta Ibrahim Yusuf, said that the decision to subject all cargo to physical examination was meant to account for every content of container passing through the command and to maximize revenue returns to the Federal Government.

He, therefore, warned non-compliant traders to steer clear of the command as he would not facilitate their trade as he desired to surpass the one trillion revenue mark achieved by the command under the former area controller Yusuf.

”We shall continue to conduct 100 percent physical examination of cargo so that we can account for all the cargo in the containers and to generate more revenue so that we can surpass the one trillion revenue collection that the command has already achieved. No package, no container should leave Apapa port without a proper 100 percent physical examination.” the new Comptroller told his officers who had gathered to welcome him.

He continued ”Today marks another era in the history of the Apapa command of the Nigeria Customs Service. I am inheriting a well-structured area command. The level of achievements and status achieved under my predecessor will be sustained while I will look for all means to surpass them.

I am ready for the job. I am aware of the big shoe I am stepping into but I am well prepared for it”, Comptroller Mohammad said.

He, therefore, asked the officers to be at their utmost best to cooperate and work with him to sustain and surpass the legacies of his predecessor.

He also solicited the support and cooperation of stakeholders whom he promised to engage with and updated frequently on all issues and policies that will enhance their trade and performance of the command.

The new helmsman also charged all the releasing officers and the image analysts who will be conducting the scanning of cargo to be diligent and exhibit the utmost sense of responsibility and professionalism in their duty so as not to release uncustomed goods.

Mohammed, who was redeployed from Onne Port Area Command when he was the area controller, also enjoined the importers and their agents to be compliant with the cargo clearance procedural processes in order to enjoy a seamless cargo release.

”The goods clearance procedure is simple. Everything starts and ends with declaration and if there is a proper and correct declaration of cargo, there won’t be any need for delay and unnecessary interference with the process”, he admonished.

Earlier, the outgoing Area Controller, Ag. Yusuf, while handling over the operations and procedures of the command to his successor, solicited the support and cooperation of all the officers and other stakeholders for the new helmsman, urging them to avail the new comptroller of the same level of support, guidance, and cooperation and advice they gave him.

He also lauded the untiring efforts of his officers whom he said were instrumental in the monumental achievements recorded by the command under his watch.

Consequently, some officers who excelled in the discharge of their duties were commended and awarded certificates of merit, including the indefatigable Public Relations officer of the Command, CSC Abubakar Usman.

 

 

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Customs

Customs grants one- month extended window to illegally imported private aircraft owners to regularise their documents to avoid sanction 

Funso OLOJO
The Nigeria Customs Service has given a month extension for owners of illegally imported aircraft to come forward to pay necessary charges and regularise their documents.
The grace period, which is from Monday, October 14th, 2024 to Thursday, November 14th, 2024, is to enable the affected owners to complete the verification exercise for the recovery of import duties which they had earlier evaded.
According to the statement by the Service, “the extension is to further engage operators who have expressed willingness to regularize their import duties, providing them with an additional window to comply with the necessary regulations.
 “The NCS is committed to ensuring that all illegally imported aircraft meet the legal requirements, thereby promoting transparency and accountability in the aviation sector.
“In light of this extension, the NCS encourages aircraft operators to take full advantage of the extended period to fulfill their obligations, avoiding sanctions that may arise from non-compliance after the deadline.
 “The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi  reiterates the Service’s dedication to enforcing the laws governing import duties and maintaining the integrity of Nigeria’s aviation sector.
 “He further appreciates the cooperation and understanding of stakeholders in this ongoing exercise” the statement concluded.
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Customs

AfCFTA scribe commends Nigeria Customs over deployment of trade facilitation tools for efficient service delivery

— engages CGC Adeniyi on how to dismantle bottlenecks in intra-African trade.
Funso OLOJO 
The Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene had commended the Nigeria Customs Service on the deployment of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme, the Advanced Rulings, and the conduct of Time Release studies which he said have greatly improved trade facilitation at the Nigerian ports and border posts.
According to him, these initiatives have positioned the NCS as a benchmark for customs administrations across Africa.
Wamkele Mene gave this commendation while meeting the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi on the sideline of the Biashara Afrika 2024 forum, hosted in Kigali, Rwanda, from 9th to 11th October 2024.
The Rwanda engagement brought together key stakeholders to discuss ways to enhance intra-African trade and foster deeper economic integration.
The meeting between the CGC and the Secretary-General provided a unique opportunity to refine strategies aimed at improving trade facilitation under the AfCFTA agreement.
 Discussions centered on addressing existing bottlenecks and encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the agreement, given their critical role in boosting intra-African trade.
 Particular emphasis was placed on the role of Customs in these efforts.
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 In his response, Comptroller-General Adeniyi commended the Secretary-General for his unwavering commitment to advancing the AfCFTA’s goals, despite the resource constraints faced by the Secretariat.
 He also acknowledged the critical support provided by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the legislative arm through the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
 “The Act has been instrumental in providing the necessary legal framework for implementing initiatives that align with the government’s vision of making Nigeria the most efficient trading nation on the continent, fostering SME growth, and boosting exports to strengthen intra-African trade,” he said.

The high point of the conversation was the recent achievement of Mrs Chinwe Ezenwa, CEO of LE LOOK Nigeria Limited, who became the first woman to export goods under the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) of the AfCFTA to East, Central, and North African countries.

 Her success, marked by the export of goods on 16th July 2024 from Apapa Port in Lagos, underscores the growing opportunities for Nigerian businesses in the continental market.

A key outcome of the meeting was the AfCFTA Secretariat’s commitment to develop a concept note outlining the way forward for the free trade area.

 In turn, the NCS pledged to bring these discussions to the Heads of Customs Administrations platform in Africa, ensuring a coordinated approach to addressing customs-related challenges across the continent.

The Biashara Afrika, now in its second edition, has established itself as a formidable platform for engagement between African public and private actors on the effective implementation of the AfCFTA.

 This year’s forum focused on addressing the evolving challenges in the business environment and seeking innovative solutions to facilitate cross-border trade.

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Customs

Stakeholders accuse Finance Ministry of frustrating government’s six-month duty waiver on food imports

–as December deadline beckons, hungry Nigerians eagerly await dividends of  presidential initiative
Funso OLOJO
Nigerian importers and their agents have accused the Federal Ministry of Finance of deliberate efforts to frustrate the government’s initiative at encouraging massive importation of food items to cushion the country’s current food crisis.
Following the acute shortage of food items due to debilitating insecurity, which has driven the cost of foodstuffs through the roof, the federal government announced a six-month window of zero duty and VAT on the importation of some critical foodstuffs to provide an immediate solution to the widening gap in the food supply.
Consequently, the government announced, through the Federal Ministry of Finance, an executive order that effective from 15th July 2024 to  31st December 2024, there is a six-month window of duty waivers on the importation of some selected food items such as husked brown rice, beans, wheat, millet, maize and grain sorghum.
However, three months into the special offer, no single importation of the selected food items has been made.
Kayode Farinto, the Chairman and Chief Executive officer of Wealthy Honey Nigeria Limited pointedly accused the Finance ministry of putting a wedge in the implementation of the policy.
Farinto, a former Acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA), said the stringent conditions attached to importation under the special Presidential duty waivers were the killjoy that has scared importers away from participating in the programme.
He expressed dismay on why the ministry should place such a burden on the importers who wish to help the government achieve food sufficiency in the country if not to deliberately frustrate and sabotage the process.
” Government in its magnanimity realised that Nigerians are hungry and should have food in excess, rolled out that very good executive decision on duty waivers on some selected food items.
” But its implementation has been bastardised and I predicted when the announcement on this special arrangement was made that after three months of the executive order, there won’t be any importation of these food items under this programme.
” Three months into the programme, there is no importation.
” Go to the port terminals, you won’t find a single containerised food item under the duty waivers programme.
” Nobody is willing to import under such stringent conditions by the Ministry of Finance. The ministry has put a wedge in the smooth implementation of the policy.
” Most of us travelled abroad and saw these food items which we would have containerised and shipped to Nigeria under this programme but we couldn’t because of the stringent criteria set up by the ministry.
” How do you expect people to import food items and have a food surplus in the country when you put these tough conditions?” Farinto queried.
It could be recalled that the Ministry of Finance through the Nigeria Customs Service in August 2024  spelt out certain conditions to be met by importers willing to participate in the special Presidential duty waivers programme.
“To participate in the zero-duty importation of basic food items, a company must be incorporated in Nigeria and have been operational for at least five years.
“It must have filed annual returns and financial statements and paid taxes and statutory payroll obligations for the past five years.
” Companies importing husked brown rice, grain sorghum, or millet need to own a milling plant with a capacity of at least 100 tons per day, operated for at least four years and have enough farmland for cultivation.
“Those importing maize, wheat, or beans must be agricultural companies with sufficient farmland or feed mills/agro-processing companies with an out-grower network for cultivation”
Farinto said these conditions were not necessary as they would certainly be too cumbersome to meet.
” It should have been left open for those who have interest and capital to participate, a sort of all-comers affair to encourage massive importation of foods to saturate the market and bring the prices down.
“After all, the window is only for six months and after that, you close the window” the ANLCA chieftain declared.
Our reporter further gathered that apart from the stringent conditions attached to the zero duty programme which stakeholders believed have resulted in apathy, the Nigeria Customs Service, three months into the implementation of the duty waivers, said it was still waiting for the Federal Ministry of Finance to provide the agency with the list of importers eligible to participate in the programme.
According to the guidelines, the Federal Ministry of Finance is supposed to provide the Customs with the list of importers qualified to benefit from the duty waiver.
With three months remaining before the duty waiver window is shut, hungry Nigerians are still waiting to benefit from the massive importation of food items expected from the special Presidential duty waiver programme.
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